Legendary action director John Sturges helms this 1953 Western acclaimed for its scenic vistas, most of which were shot in Death Valley. William Holden stars as Captain Roper, a tough, cynical calvary officer commanding a Union stockade for Confederate prisoners. But he's no match for the romantic machinations of his colonel's daughter's best friend (Eleanor Parker), who manages to distract him long enough for her fiancÚ (John Forsythe) to escape. Roper eventually recaptures the Confederate POWs but must enlist their support against the fierce Mescalero Apaches if anyone is to make it back to Fort Bravo alive.